A CATASTROPHE THAT THRILLED THE WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 324, 25 January 1908, Page 4

A CATASTROPHE THAT THRILLED THE WORLD.

HIE LOSS uK THE ■ IiIIiKKMIE.M).' HOW 100 IiKITISH St 11,1)1 E.liS LOOKED DEATH IN THE FACE. 1)..,- ihe I'.iHi-h -i.liiivr know how lo lie." !:•■..,1 liir .-i-.rv of Hi.- wreck of ,h.- - IhrUaihoad." and let us thank rod 'hi. we are in a v.'..-.- which breed, .-m-h I: v.- on a bleak day in January, 1N.!.. I lot the ship whose veiy iiaii'u--I li lir.-s the blood sleanied out of '.'u-.-i'ii-'.-iwii iiarbniir on her long vnyag: lo the (ape. With her 2.01111 tons'and her eii-iiu.-- of alii hiiivc power she was ,-oiiiiled a hi» and powerful boal ball' a -■.-iilnry ago.' though -he w.uilil be but a pygmy bc-ide the leviathan of our dm : 'and -be carried about /till sun,-. i i of whom Here >ol,lier,. iinpatictii 1., g.-t a: e1.,-- .piaiter- with Ihe Kallirs. «j . •■- . ■ i...ii:ni- -. i:-,.ulili-oiu.- li.tl-lil l-'r iho lir-i hail link sc; mod lo 1,-Mo.-, oi tie- iial-.e ..: tin- -mil Invar. 1.....0 .....o d web wiii, her crowd.-.! freight .1 am ilv. Her paddle- had sen reel \ .a,i, m-d their way a hundred 1.-uguc-llie "liil-K.-Hheaii. aiiil the gallant shij - i- ■; niggling and straining helplessly n nioinr.aini.il.- -, i,- : while the soldiers ...11.u.-.l .!..« Hand huddled on the crowd ,■-: iiiwe, .h.-k, cere reduce to the e\

v .i../' u' i.iisorv. Mor<? |)i(il'nl wntla- jiligiu 01' i Ik- wcmir'ii ami ! liildmi -i-.iui' dI v':um - litrtimW'il in lln> )»orr-«r.- "! :lac *■ ilit-i 1 it'll and wore >ilriillv drop ( < :i -thtoe oi tilt' jmor crea 111 r<'» Uavin;/ new-born im'auis hdiim

Iliil th.- •■ Birkenhead" was a stout -n.i'.. with a lion-hearted capiain; the -1.-.lients retired hallhd from the conic-.!, and -he emerged at 1.i.; into calm ■ us. Willi ihe blue sky overhead, and all the discomforts of wintry tempests i.nrvivcil, she made a rapid voyage toward, her distant goal; and as every day brought the end nearer the spirits of her passengers rose. Who could fail to be gay in such .slimmer seas as lie soulli ..; the Equator, of with the prospect of lighting and glory ~.i near? And it wawilb a buhl le-ait llnlt 11-.ey saw (lie ..e-i of s„,,ili Ani,..,. i|.,ir'"Laii,l oi i'r.im-e" -,! i; by. ihe Cape of Coo,! I!"|- round,-.!, and the good -hip -af.-U Here many of the women and children ■viCi tin- -iek „„,-. were lauded, am' ,Y- - l.iC.-iilit-ad" -ei out gaily on bei -la-t lap," win, I, was to take'her lii-i to I'ori Eli/ab.-ih ami then, on to East j Loudon, where the soldier, were lo join N ir Harry Smith', armv I'm- service on the Iroin'ii ,- of Cape C.'.loiiv. Whe:e a few weeks earlier all wag'looin. now al! wa., exhilaration and ioyoii- cxpi-.-iiitiou of a brilliant earn e'igu. The laud «.,> their desires was ■low in daily sight a, the stout littb-ves.u-1 skirted the shore: mil. lo add (-- Ihe excitement, the ship was racing nnj "Sl.s." a vc-wl eairving mttnitioii- of | - ir. Who -,„,,!,: be the Ursl. to reach ] ■!:" g-iir "Til- ■Birkenhead.' for tin- | '■■•■■■ dollar." H h-.i- captain could anyhow I -anag.- it'. Not a yard mu,l bo'lm.!: •n-1 a- the perspiring -tok-r- shovel], d | he ,-oal int-i the iiirnice-. the heim-man j i.igg.-d th" shore. Too near for safety? '-Veil, what ~l' lhatr They could all'ord I "a take a littb- risk: it added lo the | ■ -i of th.- race, iinil—there was bigger I -auger iih.e.ut for Tommy. Am' Hut-. Willi faster am! f-i-tcr-'■-d'ing paddle-, ami her wake of foam■ig wal.-r- !h» -Ilirkcnhead" race,! 1 •■it" th" Smith African coast. ,o neat .-ould have been thrown on shore ■-me: d. ' ..ugh ii-1 mi- dream! it. l„ fearful do-

: ; '!'l'iinly il v,a-. tit* l hi in ' ]'! tin Sll cu'iiij ill Mid ; fi.r 11 lie 1"U l!;" (h'ck oml wen I Mow: Ms :■!-! ir|]:- ,t i'i>l ]<iw(il Muii, ;uid ;is Ihe V- twi-tk'-d nut in tl.- hhick >ky <h« 1 --'I v.Tiii merrily on Iter \v,«y uud'.'i' : ' ' of ill;' niati'. It Vwis t • 1 'injii injjit. -u.'h iis in only -ecu in ■ '' f <liuii aurl ni.inv \i soldi*-.- •■ < H'l «>n d'vk until midnijjlil | M ,j f)lh .. I '••i'' "■(■!".-is th.- ship wjis wntppod in j -iiiiiti-.-r. peuelul, aiiii profound, v(V- ---| =• -i i'.-w w:ii:']ifiil <-\y, mt dirk. | <;n<- niiu-f 1 iu- uliip'i l>r If .-uiind:-, mil, I ' -;-;iri-i-Iy hud iis -mind die.! ;uv;> \on ■ : ■ 'ill lirokni only l;y tbr t'hroli I 1 -- t IT" flnivniii" pnddk"-, j ' ,J; *JI '» V..t- -II: t l,y ;>U nillilion" ' y.-h. i In- -hij> ~!)<,()!; ;un] .-hiv.-ivd iikr . -r-Mliuv in Mid,lon pain. ;(! kl rric* <,f [ :'■ nil ''-r'i: Oi't. wit ll shouts Itf I • 'Mil!;! nd u]| drck.

i in a moment all was wild confusion; -• 11 !('<! mother- shrieked and clung to I-"' children: „oldiers. rudely roused Horn their slumbers, i Tm ,| c „ ,' n , l(l rn<] , i ■■■■ tin- upper deck, which scon became •■ .wiled with a bewihiered mas, of hueianily. Ulcit had happened'; "The -i :■ fits struck una rock." was the fear-t-ii an-wet- which passed from mouth -o | i.-in:., am! death wa- already stariii" th -in in the face. '■ tier stiicken men when they realised Crii p-ril was to rush to ihe boats. ■■"■' n!l '' '•'• | " '''ami- Ihem for yielding in ten moment o! i-iipreine paiik- and dan- •<■■■' '■"■■<> iwi'iilsc which might assail the i.-.iyesi oi men': l!nt it was only I'm- a m-nienl. "Steady, my lad,, steady!" r-ng out the command in the darkness au-i terror; and as ii by magic every !'■■ I was -laved and every man stooil a' --niton a, if on the parade-ground. m. ibought of peisonal safelv was il: ,v "' :111 - v "'-'"'s i I. There were "■' i,, "" ""ti eitildrei board, and they in i-i be saved uf any co,l : a,„| meati-»-de ihe pumps must be manned lo si ve oil a- long a, possible the moment ol -li-aste,. J'heir, wa, to "do or die." at: i when sixiy own were ordered to the 10.-or .1,-,-k to work the pumps, they imoiged down into Ihe deejier darkness | w;t.unit a second's he-nation, though to ;-■- .Hi-nut a1m....t certain death. hroiigli ihe jaggd rent \ u the "liirkeueead's" -ide the ~-a was ],ouring ,„. '"'! ""■ ""' --ol.liers with frantic energy """'I -'t the pump.- ;!ie water swirled ■ 'ii-t i-dilieil round their waists. ;""-l'i '«' drowned like rats in a h o k, l"i- what mattered that so long as the women and the little ones were -av.lv

.'.canwhiie. „n ,ic t -u. cool-headed olli- ■'■'- were mar,haling tin- women and eiiit-lren. wi.ilß cv, rv -oMier whose ser•»'i - were not needed stood at his p ,„, a- i, on -entry-duty, awaiting the ~„,| ""' '"';! S '''""'Jtl' l» re-cue them; and '' , ' i' "l "'" '''"■ <l'"'e «er,, ~ „„,-, '■""•ier.-l u-h- by „|,| „„,, ,-.,„„ v ,■"■ «'"'■" dri.«ui,l i„ i),, ,1,-,,/, 1,1 I.e-O'i the boat,, |,„l S |i|| ,]„. „.,„,. "'',' "''"' ,v "" 1 "» •'- colly and iinclieck- '■'< ■'- "' th,- preparation, were for ~ |l,v ""■ in l'- olih-er, gently liamliuo- t |,,, 1 ""' " i,l,:| elllhlren inlo „|,.h |„ uU ' ■'■ ai.ii|,lde.

Jl'o.- 1,-:,!, [. ine ,. ou( ill)(i ()||i ||ji|(k Jive - locket- were sent „, arill „ .„„, '■■--u.j int.. the ,lark„.-s. but there were , ll: ""' "». shore thiit shore which wn, " ! " ''. " '"' , »" 'li-tant- to see their '•aniiii-. And llii-.mol, it all Ihe work -I - -Hi- WlOll ,„, ;,|| ~„, ~„„., ; ea-l . Ilildl'-ll More !:,!;,.„ |,-„ m ,',,.. . |n|H ;, | ' l ] r ji' ; "l '" «-'il I"!' death, kllnw'i'l'lg

•; l il l,i ' 1 "'"•■■ -""I" ■>^.i..V.iV.,w ] , .i-, l i , "ii,- t l v "■' He ,alh,,„ men who h.,,1 0,,,,,,,,,, ~,;„ i'-""!- -" the call oi duty: funnel and !'"'' ■mast had tolter.-d and fallen, crush, "ig out many ~ brave life „„ t i„. ~,-„„.,(. "I 'l""l- And now Captain Salmon,! r ;v '' " " I " 1 ' l " -"I' «'h» could swim to ■'•i|| overboard a.,,1 make for the hpats. I'"l "01 a man ~| ihem had stirred, (t

"■i- -i -ore temptation, this oiler of life: i 1" ' ! -'•'' lar than their own were Hi? »ye- o, then- mi,.. ,-„„! litn,. ()uei _ . U|(l 'He b-i-.i- were already too full for safely- 4

A !<■,', niuiueiitr. more of solemn tr.ige.h. ni ;, lifetime crowded into I iwcniy minute: the vessel was ongi'lted. ami hundreds of brave men were struggling in the black waters with ■• las: ir.Mitie ,-tlVirt for life. Sunn- seized any M<> nin-.' bit of wreckage tl„-v ,„ui,i kiy band-, on: others laid' bold'oi tl„rigging ot 1i,,. iitainiiniisl, which still re-main-d above the surface, ami cluii.r to " liL '- "y Hies: while other-, a-ain 'H»'ih -ank and were seen ioiv. lo add (,p the horror- „f Hiis tra-edv "I the dirkm-. the „.,i „■;,„ iniVslo'd with shirk,; a u1in,,,,,. ~, ~ ,i ai . k , in ~ despairing cry. an upward Hinging of amis. ~!i.| many a brave man was'carlied do«n in'., the depths. A few swam or were floated on v, nvkago safely t., shore: but for tin- ,-e-l. hundred's of 'hen chirr fell ai. easy ,„,. v ,„ ~,.„.,., "' "'"■ ''.■■• ">"•• w„iu oui b v ||,e I, Mni -- ji '- -"-■ I'"d ami were ,|n,wne,'i; "> > '■'-' "...r g ,law„o,|. of ,hc ''■' !s I",'-" " I "'" "'•• -car -had ,vl1 "- 1 : " "'-' >" !! "I'liaiqiy antieipalion " ! ."■" inliiiv. no /,.„-,.,■ || l: ,„ ,-, )l;1 ,| '"■'- 1- "»d "»'y 1M -mvived In tod the -lory of ~,;,- ~l the most lorriblo ex-Irr.o-IN it-it sir:, to be found ill the stoi'V of h-juuini'.y.